Life List
Lists make me happy. Checking items off lists makes me positively goofy with joy. When I came across the ongoing project of blog writer goddess Maggie Mason called Mighty Life List, I was inspired. (And partially mortified. What if I don’t check stuff off??!!?! Do I start NOW, or do I include some very cool stuff that was on the Life List in my head but never formally written down therefore not accountable to anyone but me, and then possibly not as meaningful, but has in fact been accomplished (like the time I rode in a helicopter over the Amazon or met Bill Clinton or attended the NY Film Festival?)?! Is that Life List CHEATING? Am I overthinking and therefore procrastinating writing the list and not getting to the business of checking stuff off? <—- YES.)
Here goes. (Caveat: I have total power to add or subtract as passions and interests wax and wane. Goal is to get to 100-ish.)
Write a Life List.Start a blog.- Speak and write Italian.
- Learn to French braid my own (and other’s!) hair.
- Wear a red dress to the Oscars to compliment my acceptance speech.
- Be the guest of honor at a surprise party. Be genuinely surprised.
- Read history of all the places of have lived.
- Attend the Writer’s Workshop in Iowa.
- Go to race car driving school.
- Read the classics missing from my repertoire.
- Elope or host a surprise wedding. (This time, with my soul mate.)
- World Cup: Brazil 2014!
- Hike in the Swiss Alps.
- Achieve total financial security. Unexpected and abundant windfalls readily accepted.
- Attend fashion week in Milan with my mom.
- Write a book. Have it published.
- Write a screenplay. Have it produced.
- Testify before Congress in support of the US Public Service Academy.
- Build my relationship with my nephew on shared experiences.
- Get back in the Christmas Spirit.
- Run a half-marathon PR for just under 2 hours.
- Live abroad for a year. Italy will be just fine.
- Go to the museums in my city at least 4 times a year.
- See Wilco in Chicago.
- Visit Vermont when the leaves are turning. Bask in it.
- Introduce the Fug Girls at a writer-y, fashion-y event.
- Take my Dad to Ireland.
- Sell my Wedgwood.
Start my collection of Heath. <—– oops, so I went a little backwards! Got a Heath pitcher at Open Studio weekend!! - Make photo albums. Maintain them.
- Host and participate in another Music+Art event. Speak more slowly this time.
- Work on a political campaign.
- Spend a summer driving the USA in an RV.
- Get published in Runner’s World Magazine.
- Win Carl Kasell’s voice on my voicemail outgoing message.
- Do my family tree.
- Make an emergency earthquake kit.
- Double Dutch jump rope.
- Attend White House Correspondents’ Dinner.
I love this list. So fun to read. Regarding #27, I took my Dad to Spain about 4 years before he passed away. Those memories are priceless. #31 is easy. Just need to get it on the calendar. And if you need company on #12, #22 or #33, let me know.
yes, I actually thought of you and your Dad and the Spain trip. getting TH on a plane may be pretty challenging, but I think it will blow his mind to go to Dublin and see where all his favorite Irish writers haunted the streets.
#31, cool.
all the rest, YES, I want to travel with YOU!!
more to come, I will let you know when I add. xoxo
perfect! Those are amazing ambitions. I just want to get my laundry folded. I am not thinking properly about this life list thing am I- certainly something to think about.
oh honey, my laundry has been going from bed to basket to bed to basket since Tuesday. need to get out of that rut! but this is really fun to think deeply about and then allow yourself to put it into a list. also note that there are so far lots of little ones too. do one!
lol Leigh. Way too ambitious for me. :) I’d like to throw out 90% of the crap in our house. That’d be my main thing. My wife likes nick nacks. :)
just say no to too many tckotckes!!!
This is fabulous. I love how the items are kind of in lock-step distance to the horizon, if that makes sense. From stuff you could do today to stuff that would take more process, time and luck. Love it! Can’t wait to see the other 66. ;)
you should do one too… :-) I like the luck mention too, especially since I subscribe to the notion that luck is when preparation meets opportunity. so I am getting prepared!
I followed the link from mightygirl.com….love your list!
There are lots of videos on how to french braid your own hair: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CggRAdt6BQY
Good luck!
aww, thanks Miss K!! will check out the vids and am excited to go through your list of books on your blog. thanks for checking in here :-)
I can help you with #4 if it’s still on the list?! Love this list!
I AM HOPELESS!! yes, I need your #4 help still!! more to come on the List, it’s supposed to reach 100!